


Evicted

by joyful_soul_collector



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Best Friends, Canon Character of Color, Character(s) of Color, Childhood Friends, Class Differences, Class Issues, Classism, Comfort/Angst, Domestic Fluff, Epic Friendship, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Evicted, Female Character of Color, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Funny, Gen, Heavy Angst, Homelessness, Loss, Major Original Character(s), Male-Female Friendship, Money, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Original Fiction, Originally Posted Elsewhere, Originally Posted on Tumblr, POV First Person, POV Male Character, POV Original Character, Panic, Panic Attacks, Poor, Pop Culture, Poverty, Romance, Romantic Friendship, Short, Short Story, Slice of Life, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, hunger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 13:30:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20046823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joyful_soul_collector/pseuds/joyful_soul_collector
Summary: Amadeus learns his family is being evicted from their homeTW FOR PANIC ATTACKS





	1. Evicted Part 1

I got off the bus, thanking the driver on the way down. I ran across the road, my shoelaces almost tripping me up, and started heading home. I was looking forward to just sitting on the couch and watching some TV, maybe having some cereal too (I was starving), and just relaxing after the crazy week of school.  _ Five tests this week, _ I thought,  _ Probably only slept two hours yesterday. I wonder how Kat did on the Chemistry test-- _

“Day!” My mom’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I had a foot on the steps up to my apartment, but her voice came from behind me. I turned, and saw her standing in the parking lot. She had her hair tied in a low ponytail, and she was carrying a huge duffel bag that I’d only seen folded up in the closet. But what was she doing in the parking lot?

“Mom? What are you doing out here?” I started towards her, when I noticed my dad standing a few yards away on the sidewalk, a few black trash bags sitting next to him. I don’t know what it was about those trash bags, but I suddenly felt panic rising in my throat. “What’s going on?”

Mom must’ve known I was getting scared now, because she leaned down slightly, put her hand on my arm and said, “We’re going to be alright Day, we’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, Mom, I know we’re fine, but what are you doing with all our stuff out here?” I said. I knew why. I knew exactly why all our stuff was out here and not where it should be. I just needed her to say it. I’m not sure I would’ve really believed it if she didn’t. 

“We’re… We’re getting evicted baby.”

A lot of people talk about how when they had an experience like this, the shock of it made them go numb. Or they felt as though they were watching someone else experience it, or they felt all the sound leave the room. It wasn’t like that for me.

It was the complete opposite. The sunlight felt like it was poking me in the eye, and the usual warmth from my mother’s hand was suddenly fire, and the asphalt was far too black, it looked like a hole waiting to swallow me, and the books digging into my back felt like they would carve me in two and the  _ noise _ . 

I could hear cars a block away as though I were standing in the middle of the road and someone was walking by in heels so all I can hear is an incessant  _ CLICK, CLACK, CLICK, CLACK _ , and my tears making a  _ plip, plip, plip, _ sound on the black hole I was standing on and my father’s voice was gunfire even though I knew it was supposed to be soft.

“AMADEUS? ARE YOU OKAY?”

I pushed my mother’s flaming hand off my arm and started running. I didn’t know or care where I was going, all I knew was that my shoelaces make snapping noises when they hit the sidewalk.

I’m not sure how far I went, but I know that there wasn’t a library close to my apartment, and I was slowing down enough to go inside one now.

Something about libraries is so peaceful. I know that’s super cliche, but it’s true. They’re like safehouses in those spy movies, or the church back when you couldn’t get arrested in a house of God.  _ Funny how all the safe places are called houses or homes. Even libraries are sometimes called a home for the books. And here I am, running into someone else’s home as soon as I find out I’m losing mine, _ I thought bitterly. My thoughts were still whirling around my head like a tornado, but at least it was quiet here.

I went up the stairs, still feeling the dull ache to escape in my chest.  _ I just need to get out of the world. Just for a second. Just have to get out of here, just for a minute, _ I thought. 

Funny thing about being in panic mode is you don’t really know what you’re doing until you’ve already done it, so I don’t remember actually going to the Graphic Novel section, and swiping the first volume of Saga, but I do remember the very beginning of the book. And I don’t know how long I was there, but I know it’s much darker outside than it was when I came in.

I also felt different. Before, my whole body felt like it was in pain, but now, I felt completely numb. I’m not sure which one was worse. 

I sat on the steps of the building and checked my phone. Unsurprisingly, there were a lot of missed calls and texts, mostly from my parents, but a few were actually from Kat. 

**Kat:** Hey, are you alright? Your parents called me, and told me what happened. They’re really worried about you

**Kat: ** Day please answer

**Kat:** Day?

I took a deep breath before responding. 

**Me: ** Hey

**Kat: ** Oh my god are you okay!?

**Me: ** Yeah, I’m okay

**Kat:** Where are you?

**Me: ** I don’t want to be found yet

**Kat:** Well at least tell your parents you’re okay

**Me: ** I will

**Kat:** Can you please tell me where you are?

**Me: ** No, I don’t want to talk to my parents yet

**Kat:** How about if you tell me where you are, I come pick you up, we hang out at my house for half an hour, THEN I call your parents?

I thought for a moment. That didn’t seem like a horrible plan. But the library is so nice and quiet. I could stay here all night and be fine. I have all my school stuff in my backpack, I could just do my homework here using the library Wifi, and then head to school in the morning.  _ Man I ran _ , I thought,  _ school’s not too far from here. I must have gone miles. _

My phone buzzed again and I checked Kat’s text.

**Kat:** I also have some chili warmed up on the stove. I know you like that

My stomach suddenly rumbled loudly at those words. I'd forgotten how hungry I was after school, and with all that running and the hours I'd spent at the library, my stomach felt hollow and began to ache with every passing moment. It was odd, I could barely feel the phone in my hand but I  _ could _ feel a sharp pain in my belly that made me wince a little.

**Me: ** Yeah, that actually sounds great right now. I’m starving

**Kat:** I knew you would be, dork. Where are you? I’ll come pick you up and we can get some food in you

**Me: ** I’m at the library

**Kat:** Alright. Be there in a few then

I sent a quick text to my parents to let them know I was okay and then locked my phone, putting it in my backpack. I stared up at the sky, as it slowly turned bright orange with the setting sun. 


	2. Evicted Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat helps ou Amadeus after he runs away

“Day! What the hell were you thinking!?” Kat said, slamming the car door behind her and running towards me.

“Gah! Oh, hey Kat! What--”

“Get in the car!” Kat grabbed my arm and started dragging me to her car, her long braids almost hitting my face as she whipped her head around.

“Woah, ow, okay, okay! I get it! I messed up!”

“Damn right you messed up! You can’t just run away and not tell anyone where you are!”

“Yeah yeah I know-- Ow! Kat!” I cried indignantly as she shoved me into the passenger seat of the car. “Can you  _ not _ throw me around?!”

“Shut up, you deserve it Amadeus!”

“Oh shit we’re going with the full names--”

“Listen to me!” she screamed, slamming the car door and pulling on her seatbelt. “You can’t do that anymore okay!? If you’re gonna run somewhere, you run straight to my house so you don’t get kidnapped or something, do you hear me?!”

“Kidnapped?! Kat it’s not like I was in the ghetto--”

“Do you hear me!?” 

“Mother of Atreus, YES!” I groaned.

“Day, this is no time for God of War references, I’m trying to lecture you here.”

“Yeah yeah I get it.” There was a bit of a silence, in which the only noise that filled the space was the low hum of the car. 

“Why did you run away?” she asked suddenly.

“I’m losing my fucking home Kat,” I snapped. 

“Yeah I know but--”

“I wasn’t thinking straight. I-- I was tired, I was stressed out from school, and home stuff, and I just… God, I just wanted to go  _ home _ and not worry about anything for a bit and then Mom--” I cut off, my voice breaking. I took a moment to breathe, looking out the window. “I just… I had a panic attack. I couldn’t handle everything that was happening.”

Kat sighed, seeming to calm down a little. “Just… please don’t run off again Day? Please? That was so scary, just please don’t ever do that again--”

“I won’t,” I interrupted. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking, I didn’t realize you would worry. I won’t do it again.” 

“Thank you,” she said. 

It only took about fifteen minutes for us to get to her house, but it felt like an hour. When we finally walked in the door, the smell of chili filled my nostrils, and my stomach roared it’s displeasure at still being painfully empty. 

“Was that your stomach?” Kat said in surprise, staring at my middle. 

“Yeah,” I said, my face growing warm. 

“I guess you haven’t had anything since lunchtime, huh?”

“I actually skipped lunch. I was really nervous about that Chem test. I ended up just studying in the library straight through lunch.”

“What!? Day!” she cried indignantly, dropping her keys on the counter.

“What did I do now!?” 

“You didn’t  _ eat _ dumbass!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, just-- why are you so goddamn worried about me? I’m fine!” But even as I said this, the room swayed slightly in front of my eyes.

“Clearly you’re not! Go sit down, you look a little pale.”

“Kat, I’m fine! I--” But Kat grabbed my shoulders and steered me towards the table, somehow pushing me into the chair effortlessly even though I was struggling. “Gah--  _ Kat! _ ”

“Day, I need you to just stay here. I know how you are, you’re gonna say you’re fine and then bottle it all up until you explode into another panic attack. I just need you to relax for a moment.”

I groaned, rolling my eyes and leaning backwards in the chair. “I don’t do that--”

“Yes you do, and you might not believe me but you actually have to  _ recover _ from panic attacks, you can’t just jump back into life like it never happened, that just makes it worse. You’re  _ not fine _ . You’re usually stronger than me and it barely took me any effort to drag you over here--”

“Well I was  _ letting _ you--”

“No you weren’t, and we both know it.” Kat leaned down a bit to look me in the eyes. “You can’t just keep going forever. You have to stop and rest, and for fuck’s sake  _ eat _ and  _ sleep _ .” She looked at me for a moment, searching my face before pushing a strand of hair out of my eyes. 

Her dark fingers were so warm, not like fire, but like a summer breeze, and I realized my body didn’t feel so numb anymore. A wave of exhaustion swept over me, carrying along with it an ache in my feet, an even sharper pain in my stomach, and a pounding in my head. 

I slumped suddenly in my chair, and Kat caught my shoulder before I fell.

“See?” Kat said as I righted myself with a grimace. “You’re burning yourself out. If you keep this up you’re going to get hurt, more hurt than you already are.”

I hated that she was right. I didn’t want to admit it, but she really was right, I'm burning myself out. I bit my lip, and stared at the floor a few feet away.

“Day? What are you thinking about?” she said, looking from me, to the place I was staring at, then back to me. I finally looked up at her face, and realized I hadn’t made eye contact with her at all today. Her eyes were this deep brown. It was like standing in a forest when I looked into her eyes, with all the dark tree trunks surrounding me, or like being wrapped in something warm and soft. Her eyes made me feel like I was standing on the edge of… edge of something. Something important.

“I, uh…” I said, still looking into her eyes. If my stomach hadn’t given a painful twinge that made me blink, I’m not sure I would’ve stopped staring. “My stomach hurts,” I finished, moving a hand to clutch at my belly. Kat sighed and gave me a look of mixed annoyance and sympathy. But I think she was more happy that I gave in to her than anything else. 

“Well I guess that makes sense, idiot, breakfast was like twelve hours ago.” Kat walked over to the stove, leaving me to sit limply at the table.

I watched with rapt anticipation as she stirred the chili, making sure it was still warm. My stomach twisted and rumbled loudly every few seconds or so, causing my face to turn an even deeper shade of red.

Finally she brought a steaming bowl to me, and I started eating as fast as I could without burning myself, feeling the food fill the pinched, hollow places in my body. I barely noticed the taste until halfway through the bowl, when my stomach had finally decided to shut up.

Kat noticed I was slowing down and said, “Feel better?”

“Mmhmm,” I said, my mouth still full of the thick chili. 

“Can we call your parents now?”

I paused before answering. I still didn’t really want to go home yet. Not to my home anyway. But when I looked up to tell Kat so, she put a hand on my arm, and that summer breeze seemed to fill my whole body again. Only this time it didn’t come with a reminder of how tired I was, it came with the thought that… maybe this was all going to be okay. Even if I’m not okay now. And I  _ wasn’t _ okay, not in the slightest. But she reminded me that it isn’t always going to be like this. Change is inevitable, both bad and good.

“Yeah, I guess so,” I said. “My phone’s in my backpack.” I made to get up, but my knees shook violently and my vision blurred so much I stumbled back into my seat. I rubbed my head and blinked as pain throbbed sharply against my eyes.

“I’ll call them,” Kat said with a little laugh at the look on my face, my brow furrowed together and my eyes wide like the look you would see on a confused puppy. She dialed the number, and talked to my mom for a few minutes. All I could think about while she was on the phone was how lucky I was to have a friend like her to help me.  _ I just hope I’ll never take her for granted, _ I thought. 

“They’ll be here in a few minutes,” she said, hanging up the phone. 

“Thank you. For everything,” I said with a tired smile.

“No problem.”


End file.
